What is a mirage?
Quick Answer
A mirage is a real optical effect caused when light bends as it passes through layers of air at different temperatures, making distant objects appear displaced.
The Full Story
Light travels at slightly different speeds through warm and cold air, so it bends (refracts) as it crosses layers of different temperature. On a hot day, air just above a road or desert is much warmer than the air above it, so light from the sky curves upward towards your eyes. Your brain interprets this as light reflected from a surface, creating the illusion of a shimmering pool of water — an 'inferior mirage'. Over cold seas the opposite happens, producing 'superior mirages' where ships or coastlines appear to float above the horizon. Because mirages are made of real light, they can be photographed.
Key Facts
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"The puddle that isn't there — how hot air bends light and tricks your eyes."